St. Landry democrat., 1887-07-09
THE T. s. SENATE.
REM SISCENCEs OF DISTINGUISH
ED MEMBERS OF THAT BODY,
A Maine Senator Who Served Long Be
fore the War Still Living-The Many
Casualties of the Senate that Saw the
Outbreak of the Late Civil War.
Copyrighted. 1851

AS an illustration of the comparative
obscurity which frequently overtakes
public men who have been retired to pri-
yate life, especially when they wholly
withdraw from participation IN national
affairs, it has recently been ascertained
that James w. Bradbury, of Maine, who
represented that State in the United
States Senate from March 4, 1847, to
March 3, 1853, pending the Thirtieth,
Thirty first and Thirty Con-
crosses, is still living at the advanced
aye Of eighty-two, and in fairly robust
health.
Senator Bradbury was born in 1905, in
the territory originally confined within
the boundaries of Massachusetts, but
subsequently, coded to form the State OF
Maine, which State was admitted into
the Union as the tenth State additional
to the ORIGINAL thirteen on March Is,
1920. He was graduated from BoWdolE
College in 1925, embraced the profession
of law, and was chosen senator to sue
coed George Evans, who was one OF the
foremost lawyers of his day. Mr.. Evans
was the successor of John Ruggles IN
the Senate, whose taste for the mechanic
arts was distinguishing feature OF his
public career 1t was through the efforts
of Senator Ruggles that the reorganlZa-
ton of the United States patent office
was secured, and the very first patent
granted after its reorganization in 1886
was issued to him for locomotive steam
engine Senator Bradbury was succeeded
by William Pitt Fessenden, born in New
Hampshire in 1906. Mr. Bradford, there
fore, ranks in longevity next to ex-
Senator Simon Cameron, born in 1899,
and is three wears older than ex-senator
Jefferson Davis, and four years the
senior of ex-senator K. NJ. I. Hunter, of
Virginia.
1t is noticeable that of the twenty SEN
ators who have so far represented the
State of Maine, only one, James q.
Blaine. was born outside of New Eng
land. Of the other nineteen senators,
fourteen were born within the territory
now comprising the State of Maine, four
were born in Massachusetts, and one in
New Hampshire Of these twenty SEN
ators eleven were graduated from col
leges. as follows: John Holmes, Brown
University, 1896; Albion K. Paris,
Dartmouth, 1906; Ether Shepley, Dart
mouth, 1911; Judah Dana, Dartmouth,
1895; Wyman B. S. Moor, Waterville,
1882; Amos Nourse, Harvard, 1912;
George Evans, Bowdo1n, 1915; James
W. Bradbury, Bowdoin, 1895; William
! Pitt Fessenden, Bowdoin, 1928; James
| G. Blaine, Washington College, Pa, 1917,
and William P. Frye, Bowdoin, 1850.
Senator Lot NJ Morrill, entered Water
Vile College, but withdrew before gradu-
ating, and Senator Ruel Williams re-
ceived the degree of LII. y. from Dart
mouth Senators John Fairfield, Hannl-
bal Hamlin, John Chandler, Peleg
! Sprague, John Ruggles, Nathan A. Far
well and Eugene Hale were recipients
only of common school or academic edu-
cation. Senator Hamlin was preparing
himself for a collegiate education, but
owing to his fathers death was compelled
to take charge of the farm, thence drift
ing into country printing office, where
he worked as compositor, meantime
studying law until finally admitted to the
| bar.
The Senate of the Thirty Con
| gress. commencing at the outbreak OF
the civil war in 1861, saw many
changes. Senators Breckenridge Bright,
Polk and Johnson, of Missouri, were ex-
PEELED upon charges of disloyalty. The
first to die was Stephen A. Douglas, of
Illinois, who expired June 8, 1861. He
was succeeded, through appointment, by
Orville Fl. Browning, from June 26, 1861
to January 80, 1868, when William Ii
Richardson, who had been chosen by the
Legislature to fill the unexpired term OF
Stephen A. Douglas, was seated. Sena,
tor Kinsley S. Bingham died October 5
1861. and was succeeded by Jacob M
Howard.
The next victim was Senator Edward
D. Baker, of Oregon, who left his seat
in the Senate to take the field on behalf
of the Union, and was killed in the
battle of Balls Bluff, near Leesburg, Va.
October 81, 1861, while calamity leading
charge against the superior force OF
the enemy. Senator Baker was sue
ceeded by Ben amin Stark, appointed by
the governor, who served until Septem
Der Is, 1862, when Benjamin F. Harding
chosen by the Legislature for the I'm
expired term of General Baker, wa
seated. Senator Pearce, of Maryland
died December 20, 1862, and was succeeded
for the residue of his term, expiring
March 8, 1867, by Thomas Fl. Hicks
Senator John R. Thompson, of New
Jersey, died September IL, 1869, and wa
succeeded by Richard S. Field, appointe'
, by the governor, who served until Janu
ary "A, 1868, when James W. Wall
/ chosen by the Legislature, was seatet
and served until March 3, 1868. Senate
, Simmons, of Rhode Island, resigne
early in 1862, and was succeeded b
, Samuel G. Arnold, chosen by the Legis
, lature, who served from September /:
: 1862, to March 3, 1868, the expiration o
the Thirty-seventh Congress.
t Painful to relate, two distinguish
senators, members of this body, perishe
subsequently by suicide-Preston King
of New York, and James S. Lane, g
Kansas. Mr.. King was drowned in tn
, harbor of New York city, November 1;
. 1865, having, it is conjectured, throw
- himself overheard from ferry bost in
fit of mental arrangement. He was 8
| +hat fir,o tho ool1oc+or of la nor+ r